The Road I'm On
by Icylov3
Summary: Two sisters go on a search to find the truth about their parents. Their journey is riddled with odd side quests, new friends and unwanted enemies. Will they ever find what they're looking for.
1. Unusual Meetings

The Road I'm on

I had posted this up a long time ago, then took it down because I thought it sucked. But as you could see, I clearly fixed it up. If you can remeber this from way back whenever, then congrats to you. But if you can't, hope you enjoy it for the first time.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, but I do own the plot!

**Chapter one: Unusual Meetings **

Silently she crept up on the campsite, watching the two occupants as they chattily ate their meal. The strong aroma of fish being smothered in seasoning assaulted her nose relentlessly and refused to let up. Her stomach growled loudly due to the attack on her sensitive body and alerted the two people of their uninvited guest. The girl grabbed hold of her stomach and tried her hardest to press her back deeper in the tree, but they had already stood and began searching the area, cautiously. With their weapons drawn and their minds set on finding something, they lurked around her tree. The girl shuddered in fear, afraid of what was to become of her. But remembering the cold piece of steel by her side, a sense of new found strength arose in her small figure and she braced herself as the two campers jumped in front of her, bodies ready to attack.

The duo stopped suddenly at the sight of a little girl struggling to keep a sword much bigger then herself, raised. Her arms looked like they were going to snap, but she raised them with more conviction then they thought she had, bringing the weapon above her head. One of the campers then rushed forward and grabbed hold of the falling girl, as her sword went back, proving that she held no strength at all. The leather and steel mixed fell to the ground with a loud clink and the girl found herself staring at bright blue eyes and a soft smile. Her savoir, with sturdy hands, lifted her up and placed her gently on both two feet. She blinked once, twice and then another time; just to make sure she was seeing right. Did the people who were supposed to take her life, just help her out?

The girl looked back and forth between the two young men and pushed herself into a defensive stance. This had to be a trick, one she wasn't going to fall for. She watched, as they looked at each other confused, as if they were trying to figure out in each other eyes, what was going on. But the girl knew better. The white crescent moon engraved on one of their shirts only meant that they were working for the Queen. And it was no news to the girl that the Queen had sent for her. The girl began thinking of the things that would be done to her if she were to be caught. Her young, overactive mind getting the best of her.

"Excuse me, but were not here to fight. We thought you were a wild animal or a thief and so we sought to investigate. If we startled you, then I deeply apologize." Stuck in her thoughts of possible torture, she jumped slightly at the sound of a voice that didn't belong to her. The one who had caught her before, stopping her from fallen, had spoken. The other young man that was with him grinned warmly and pulled the long weapon he was carrying, behind his back.

"Well!" He exclaimed, sending her back a few inches in shock. His face quickly turned apologetic as the girl placed her hand over her heart, as if calming her beating muscle. "I didn't mean to scare ya kid. Just wanted to know if you were still alive over there."

The girl looked up at him and frowned. His eyes were a funny shade of blue, almost purple like and his brown hair was pulled to the back of his head. The girl's eyes slowly trailed down his body, first passing the grin on his lips to get to the silver cross resting on his neck. He wore a black shirt that was neatly tucked into his black pants, being held in place by a black belt with silver pieces. He was using the toe of his black boots to dig into the ground, creating a hole next to the one he made with the long stick he was holding behind his back. She then turned to the one who had stopped her from falling and had to remind herself that they were the enemy. Blonde hair was messily arranged on his head and he had to brush it back with his hands a couple of times, before it actually stayed in place. Even though she was taking her time thoroughly examining the two, his blues eyes held patience and kindness. He wore a blue shirt, shielded from the dirt by a brown cloak. His pants, like the other one was black but his held a baggy look to them and he wore boots as well.

The girl's stomach growled louder then before, this time sending pain through her abdomen. She doubled over slightly, clutching at her stomach. The blonde quickly walked over to her and placed a gentle hand on her back. He began to lead her towards the direction from which they came, but she stomped her foot hard on the ground, as if refusing to move from the spot. The blonde looked at her with confusion, a tiny bit frustrated with her attitude. But his camping companion nudged him softly in the ribs, indicating from him to step aside. Doing so, he watched as his friend lifted the girl over his shoulder and walked with the struggling bundle to the campsite. Picking up the sword she dropped earlier, as well as the one his friend was holding, he followed them with a smile on his face, only rushing ahead to clear a space for her to sit.

"There ya go." The young man said as he placed her on a red blanket. She glared at him, but the smile on his face showed that she wasn't doing a good job. She then attempted to put on her best mean face, but that only caused him to break out in laughter. Feeling the heat rise in her cheeks, the girl wanted badly to throw a fireball at his head, but her situation didn't allow her.

In order to spare the girl's feelings the blonde reproachfully hushed the other young man and placed a wooden plate in from her. She looked down to see the seasoned fish she smelt earlier. Her stomach growled again, reminding her that it was still in need of nourishment, but her mind would not allow her to accept an offer of such from strangers. Especially when the strangers worked for the person she was trying to flee from.

"It's good that you take your safety very seriously, but don't you think you would be placing a loved one with a terrible weight on their shoulder if you were to starve yourself to death." Still, she continued to stare at the food, determined not to trust the two. "If you'd like, we'll go and catch more fish and you can watch us cook it for you." The girl looked at him and then to the one that was just laughing at her, who nodded his head in agreement. Her gaze fell on the fish and once again her stomach made it clear that it wasn't to be neglected. Sighing in defeat, she picked up the cool fish and bit into. The flavor danced delightfully on her tongue and she smiled slightly, happy to receive something that didn't taste like sour fruit.

"So kid, what'cha doing wandering out here? It's really dangerous at night." The brown haired one asked as he watched her eat the meat that was given to her. She swallowed what she was chewing, then looked down as if contemplating what she should say. She settled for a simple shrug, a habit she had picked up from her "guardian". She heard him groan like he was annoyed with her being. Another thing she found that people frequently did when they would try to hold a conversation with her. He looked as though he was going to speak again, but his comrade beat him to it.

"That sword doesn't belong to you, did you find it?" The girl looked up suddenly after remembering her forgotten protection. The young man stated, rather then asked if it belonged to her and a harsh thought crossed through her mind. What if they were on to her, what if they knew whom it belonged to and was going to torture her to get the answers if she didn't comply with their generosity? A nauseating feeling replaced the full feeling she got from eating the large piece of fish and as if sensing her discomfort the blonde shook his head and smiled.

"I don't think we started off on the right footing. My name is Quatre and this is my friend Duo."

"The Ultra magnificent, super fabulous, extra talented, one and only, greatest warrior in the world." Duo said with a huge smile on his face. He grabbed both sides of his pants and tried his best at a curtsey, bringing a muzzled smile on the girl's face. Though he knew that deep down she was laughing real hard inside. Quatre rolled his eyes and placed the sword in front of the girl. The girl appeared to be startled by his actions, although he had to admit she was doing a good job at hiding it. He thought for a second, wondering what he should do, but Duo threw himself next to the girl and warped his blanket around her shoulder.

"You can sleep with this tonight. For whatever reasons you're out here, it must be important to ya. Although tomorrow, might be a different story. Me and Q over there are heading that way," He pointed straight ahead, more then likely referring to a town or city. "But since you don't want any help from us, I can only assure you that until the morning, your safe little miss. Once the sun rises we have to part direction."

"I'm going in that direction too. Maybe we can…work something out." The girl whispered, but both Duo and Quatre heard her. The blonde released a sigh of relief, glad that he would be able to prevent the girl from falling into unnecessary dangers while wandering the woods. Duo smiled a triumphant smile, knowing that deep down the girl wasn't confident in surviving in this place. But then again…

"Just what were you doing creeping around in the first place?"

"I…I was looking for my…sister and I…I, I lost track of the time. I lost her and was afraid she might have been hurt. By the time I decided to go back and try again in the morning, it had gotten to dark and I didn't know where I was going." She stuttered out in the beginning, trying to find the words to get the story out, but soon fear took over her features and she quietly spoke the rest. Quatre nodded his head, putting the pieces together, but it was Duo who spoke his thoughts.

"You thought your sister might be in danger so you dragged that huge sword along with you, so you could protect her. Do your parents know you're out here?"

"It's my sister's sword, she normally takes it everywhere." Ignoring the questions, the girl pushed the bone filled plate away and brought her knees to her chin. She tightened the blanket around herself and leaned into the tree her body was resting against. Closing her eyes, she began thinking about her sister and all the worst case scenarios. Then she laughed to herself, wondering why she was so worried in the first place. With or without her sword, her sister was a force to be reckoned with and she pitied anyone who would dare go against her. But the fact that she left without a word or note of where she was going left the girl with a sick feeling in her stomach.

"I'm quite sure she's ok. Anyone who could handle this killer must be one bad mother f—"

"As for you Miss, what would look like for us to call you. If you don't want to give us your name, then that's fine, but I'm quite sure you don't want to be referred to as Miss or Kid." Quatre quickly ended Duo sentence, before he could go on to offend someone whom he never meet, as well as subject the girl before him to tactlessness language. The girl giggled a little, knowing full well where Duo was going. But the sheepish grin on his face and the slightly irritated expression on Quatre's face reminded her of her sister and their friend, so the girl decided she wouldn't say anything about the whole subjection thing. Instead, for the first time, she smiled at them. She leaned back into the tree and adjusted herself so she was comfortable. Closing her eyes, she remembered the question Quatre asked and sighed.

"Hotaru." She said with eyes still closed. The effects of a full stomach and the draining search left the girl's body begging for sleep. Even though she tried to stay up, hopping that she might catch a bit of the conversation she knew Duo and Quatre was going to have, she couldn't. It surprised her, that her body was so needy today and how quickly it wanted to enter the dream realm. Maybe there was something in the food or just maybe she for once, wasn't worried about the future and felt safe in the presence of someone else besides her sister.

* * *

Morning had arrived, way to soon, Hotaru thought as she pulled Duo's blanket over her head. The sounds of footsteps and various other noises signaled that the two people she meet last night were packing up. Between the birds chirping and Duo's whistling, the girl couldn't decide which one she hated worst. It wasn't that she was an anti-morning person…in fact, she loved the mornings and was always the first to awaken in her household. But when placed under the circumstances she was in, getting up and facing the day was something she wanted so badly to skip. 

"Hey kid! Come on! Get up already. Geez, you're worst then the Q man." Just instantly, Hotaru knew that Duo was probably big on bright and early days. As she pretended to sleep with the blanket pulled over her head, she heard 'The Q man' come to her defense, which signaled an 'whatever' sigh from Duo. Not wanting to be a bother to the two whom helped her out, Hotaru pulled the blankets off and looked at the surrounding area. Two big bags were neatly placed against a tree and next to it was a long brown paper with an assortment of small weapons scattered on it. Quatre was kneeling down next to the paper, strapping the tiny protectors to his belt. Duo stood on the opposite side of him; not to far from where she was laying, swinging the stick he was holding last night. Finally she was able to see everything in a clearer view and it looked different.

Quatre faced held a neutral look to it as he prepped himself for the day ahead. But his expression softened when he noticed Hotaru staring at him. The crescent moon that she had thought she saw on his shirt earlier was actually a tear in the fabric, allowing his white undershirt to show through. A small blush formed on her pale cheeks as she allowed the entirety of her mistake to sink in. She had been so rude towards the two, thinking they had been sent out to receive her. But if it wasn't for their patience and kindness, she would probably be laying dead somewhere, with crows or wolves picking at her flesh.

"Between you and Quatre, I don't know who's harder to get up. I know he needs his beauty sleep, what's your excuse?" Duo joked, while walking over to the girl and lending her his hand. Hotaru accepted the gesture with an apologetic frown on her face. Quatre on the other hand didn't seem too happy with the remark. The blonde sighed irritated, obviously not a morning person. Hotaru watched as he ran his hands through his hair and made a sound similar to a growl. A small smile formed on her lips as she thought about how much the annoyed Quatre compared to the polite, sweet Quatre from last night. As she watched the young man, a soft thudding sound filled her ears and she could feel a tapping sensation on her head. Looking up, she saw Duo grinning from ear to ear, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Someone's in loooovvvveee!"

"Duo be quiet and come pick up your bag, where leaving now." Quatre demanded. Rolling the paper up, he slid it in the side of the bag and pulled the straps over his shoulder. Standing up, he didn't allow Duo a chance to respond as he began walking away from the campsite. Hotaru quickly ran towards him, slowing down into a walking pace once she was by his side. The brown haired young man looked at the two, before kicking a small random rock and picking up the rest of the stuff.

* * *

Two figures stood meters apart from each other on a dusty field. Silence was no where to be found at the moment, for the crowd was cheering loud, trying their best to egg the two people on. One was huge and the other was small, draped in a cloak. It was the battle of the day, the one that would determine the holder of the Kasu champaionship. The small figure looked up at the bigger one. His name was Helm and was supposedly the best fighter there was. But it was going to see if that statement held any reality to it. The pale creature looked like it could pass off as blue, with his balding head and muscled body. He wore brown pants with iron knee and shoulders guards. Despite the weird tattoos he had inked all over his chest, the small figure found itself staring deep into Helms eyes. 'Beautiful' was all it could think as the ember lenses glittered in the light. It's concentration was broken when the sound of a gong cleared the area and the crowed roared into an even greater cheer. The battle had begun and both participant's egos and rep was on the line. 

Helm ran towards his potential victim as he decided to win the fight quickly. A devilish grin appeared on his face as he thought of the many ways of making the small thing in front of him feel pain. But much to everyone's surprise, instead of running or trying to brace itself, the figure raised its hands. While standing it's ground, a small flame formed in it's hands. As Helm continued to run towards the figure, the flame increased in size until it was almost as big as it's owner's body. Still, determined not to let the fire frighten him, Helm ran forward and raised his fist to attack. The figure released the red and orange heat, sending the attacker flying back.

Hotaru squeezed the warm bake muffin in her hand after she saw the cloaked figure's attack. She watched as the figure got into an attacking stance and quickly knew who it was. The object of her search, the one who she had set off to find was standing right in the middle of a battle for all to see. A queasy feeling erupted in her stomach and she knew that something bad was going to happen. Hotaru internal problems did not go unnoticed by the blonde sitting next to her. Having cooled down since this morning, he gently placed his hands on her shoulder and smiled assuredly.

"They don't allow killing in these tournaments. It's inhumane and senseless, so you don't have to worry about seeing any of that." Hotaru looked up at Quatre and frowned. Although she enjoyed the fact that he cared so much about what was going into her head, she had to note that he wasn't giving her enough credit. It was Duo's idea to go check out the tournaments and Quatre thought it to be something not suitable for her young eyes. But she quickly squashed the concern when she ran into the establishment, intent on seeing the battle. Normally she would hate watching these, but after hearing about the prize money, she was pretty sure that her sister was going to have some type of involvement. And she was certainly clear about what that involvement was. Now she sat, not to far from the action, watching as her 'sister' was being held by a big crushing hand. She released the breath she was holding when she saw Helm drop her sister while holding his hand in pain.

The figure, now holding two fireballs in her hand began running towards the distracted opponent. Without thinking, Hotaru stood up and cried out to the running girl, shocking both young men in her company.

"BE CAREFUL!" Almost sure that the fighter didn't here her, Hotaru sunk back in her seat. Duo cringed as if feeling the figure's pain, as Helm swung his heavy arm sending the small thing roll against the ground like a doll. The figure sat up on the ground and was able to roll out of the way of another fist coming towards her. The ever-observant Quatre looked back and forth between Hotaru and the fighters and knew that when she stood up and yelled the cloak one seemed distracted. How could she have heard her cry over the loud roar of the crowd?

"Hey firefly, didn't know you were coming."

"Rei." Hotaru thought happily as her sister voice filled her head. "Be real careful ok, I have a bad feeling about this."

"Don't worry, I have everything under control." Rei throw yet another fireball at her opponent, sending it in the same place the last one hit it in. He cried out loud and grabbed at his chest. The crowd was silent after seeing the Champion fall down on one knee in pain. A smile slowly crept on Rei lips as she realized just how true her words were. This battle was going to be a lot easier then she had originally thought. Hotaru silently thanked the stars, blaming her bad prediction on nerves. She leaned back into her seat and sighed. Feeling both Duo's and Quatre's gaze on her, she smiled brightly but kept her eyes on the battle.

Helm had just corrected himself and stood, staring the cloaked one down. His eyes burned intensely with hate, as his heavy breathing seemed to contribute to Rei's amusement. His opponent's laugh was but a soft giggle, something he found odd coming from a man. Helm shook his head, deciding that he had stayed in the sun to long and needed to end the battle quick. He spread his feet apart and clasped his hands in front of his face, as in a prayer position. Rei noted the stance with fascination, never have seen anyone use that out side of a religious setting. She cocked her head to the side and with carefully eyes, watched as he began chanting words with a devilish grin upon his face. He closed his eyes suddenly and a gut wrenching feeling erupted inside of her. A tiny inclination of what he was doing screamed loudly in her head. But before she could make a move to defend herself, she was soaring across the field, dust, dirt and all. Quickly correcting herself, Rei landed on the ground with ease, but was quickly assaulted with a fury of heavy fist coming towards her. Dodging each one successfully, she was fast to note that her body was growing weary of the fight and wouldn't be able to keep it up.

Her weakening body skipped a beat and just barely missed a strike, escaping with a small forceful push in her chest. There was no one to blame this on but herself. Rei smiled ruefully, knowing that her lack of appreciation for her opponents fighting style contributed a lot to her downfall. She dodged his fist one last time, jumping to her side, sending her small body flying to her right. Helm wasn't able to stop himself from falling after Rei sudden change in direction. By the time he raised his huge body and turned to her, she was standing and ready to attack. Taking a deep breath, she lifted her hands in the air, palms facing up. A swirl of black fire formed over her gloved fingers and the girl wasted no time in sending it in his direction. Thinking that it was another weak attack, he stood his ground, head pumped up by the loud cheering of his name. But once the dark fire hit his body, he released a blood-curdling cry sending the crowd into a frenzy.

Hotaru watched her sister as she stood there and stared at the struggling creature. It seemed that the older girl could care less about the pain it was going through, but Hotaru knew her sister better then that. It was impossible for Rei to be so heartless, so cold. She was her sister after all.

"Put a fork in him, he's done." Duo whispered with a smile spread on his own features. The crowd, although silent, watched in amazement as their once Champ, was on his knee crying out his surrender. Rei, having heard the word to end it all, closed her eyes and sighed. The fire died down and revealed a scarred and bruised Helm, breathing in huge breaths of fresh, cool air. She looked at him, almost sadly, not quite sure what to do now. The crowd cheered louder and louder, demanding that their new champion after nine years show his face. Shaking her head, Rei began her trek back to the inside gate of the stadium to collect her reward. Dealing with her new found fans, was something she was going to have to pass up.

Hotaru quickly got up and left before the crowds could get moving. She could hear Duo and Quatre call out for her, but she picked up her pace and ran to where she knew she would be able to greet her sister. Her name being shouted over and over again died out and she knew she had lost them, but still she had to get to her sister. Her feet moved heavily across the stone floors as she dodge pedestrians and became a brat and others childlike names. Once she had made it to the entrance, her tried body had a burst of energy and she practically threw herself in her sister's arm. Rei twirled her around a few times before settling her on the floor, a confused look in her eye.

"Just what are you doing here? Did Mrs. Swanson bring you?" Rei asked with so much gentleness in her voice, that Hotaru felt guilty of the answer she was to give. Afraid of the reaction she was going to get if she told the truth, the younger girl bowed her head low and kicked at the air surrounding her feet. Rei placed her hand on her sister's shoulder and smiled. "Well, since you're here, we might as well keep moving."

"Really. You're not mad that I ran away and came here all by myself?" Hotaru asked with confusion and relief mixed in her voice. Rei smiled knowingly before turning on her heels and grabbing onto Hotaru's hand. She began walking away, the smile still on her face.

"Dogs get mad firefly, not people."

* * *

"Come on Duo, she couldn't have gotten that far. I mean, she doesn't have any money and I don't think she steals." 

"So." Duo said as if the points Quatre spoke of were not of any relevance. He rolled his eyes at the frantic man, not sure why he cared so much about the kid. They had issues they needed to tend to and the girl was not one of them.

"So…so can you live with yourself, knowing that she might be hurt because of our carelessness?"

"What I don't know can't hurt me." Quatre sighed and began walking ahead. As much as he hated to admit it, the kid wasn't their problem and he shouldn't be spending so much energy trying to see to her safety. He looked at his friend, who in turn was looking around the area, as if searching for the girl, himself. A small smile crossed his face as he realized that he didn't yet lose Duo to the selfishness of a cold heart.

"Why don't we stop and have something to eat. Once we're completely energized, we can do what we have to do and hopefully find Hotaru in the process." Duo nodded his head, agreeing with the idea. He hadn't really wanted to leave the girl alone, but he had priorities and seeing that she was taken care of was not at the top of the list. Besides, wasn't it she who ran away from them?

"Let's go in there, they have a beef special. I've been in the mood for some red meat." Duo pointed to a fairly large place not to far from where they stood. Quatre looked at the sign hanging in the glass window, the words 'special' written neatly in script, the black ink bold and italicized. The restaurant seemed as if it were a nice place to sit and eat…

"Come on." Duo said, dragging the young man along, forcefully knocking him out of his flitting admiration. He entered the eatery and wanted to scream. The place was quite busy, tables were full and uniformed workers ran around, frantically trying to maintain order. With one look at the scene, Quatre turned around and began to open the door, but Duo grabbed him by the cloak and pulled him in. The blonde cut his blue eyes at his friend, but his glare quickly turned into confusion when he noticed him staring at a space far away. In that space lied a table and at that table sat the very young Hotaru and another person. A dark brown cloak covered this person's body and her head was resting on the table. Both Duo and Quatre watched as Hotaru said something and the other person lifted their head and frowned. Without a hint or warning, Duo rushed towards the two, pulling a disheveled Quatre along the way. They knocked into tables and bumped into people, but Duo stilled dragged him by the cloak, ignoring the cries of the others. Once at the table, Quatre was finally able to pull free, but before he could open his mouth to say anything to him, Duo had turned to the girl and began talking.

"The two of you ladies wouldn't mind if I graced you with my presence." Hotaru nearly broke down in laughter when she saw Duo pull a seat next to her sister and take her drink. He sipped on the small glass cup and spit the liquid out on her napkin. "What the hell is this stuff, you've gotta be one strong person to drink this." Rei glared at him and would have done far worst, if not for the vexed yet apologetic voice of the other man that arrived.

"I'm truly sorry for my friend's behavior. Please don't hurt him." He added as an after thought. Rei looked at him and frowned. His face looked all too familiar and a bad feeling lurked heavily in her heart. She stared at him, watching carefully for signs indicating anything close to a threat of any sort. But when she saw only tired eyes and a slowly waning smile, she sighed and turned to the other. But before she could speak to the man who had invaded her space, Hotaru called her gingerly.

"Rei this is Duo and Quatre, they helped me out yesterday. If it weren't for them, I probably wouldn't have gone in the stadium. So is it ok for them to eat with us, they're not mean or anything like that." Rei looked at the two skeptically, before nodding her head. Quatre sat in the seat next to Hotaru and Rei glared darkly at Duo, which caused him to scoot closer to the little girl.

A few minutes passed by and silence settled around the group. Rei was eyeing Hotaru suspiciously, as if she knew something but wasn't sure on how to approach the matter. Quatre noticed this but thought it better to not interfere with the two. He shook his head and looked warningly at Duo, who seemed to have no qualms with entering someone else's business. He on the other hand, ignored Quatre's not so threatening glare, and chanced himself by scooting closer to Rei.

"Rei was it? You wouldn't happen to be the viscous aggressor that took the title of Kasu Champion?" Rei looked at him, her cold dark eyes cutting deep into his slowly frowning face. They had only spent less then half an hour with each other, in mostly complete silence, and she knew deep down, she wasn't going to like him. If not for the nervous waves emitting from the normally distance child in front of her, she would've dismissed the two male's company and continue through lunch with not so much as a second thought. Duo's smile was gone and he stared back at Rei with as much ice in his glare as he could summon, in great hopes that the tables would be turned and the teenager would shy away from her rude state. But, his hopes were short lived, for the young girl let out a soft, patronizing laugh and drowned the rest of her amusement in the glass of water sitting in front of her. Hotaru sighed, in embarrassment by her sister's lack of concern for the other's person's feeling. Quatre looked carefully at the stunned expression on Duo's face and knew well of what was to come of his friend's skillfully camouflaged anger. And to save the group from a large confrontation, he stood up abruptly and began calling for the waiter. A very young boy ran over and began bowing profusely.

"I'm so sorry for the wait! With the big rush, we had to go out a buy more supplies and we only have two cooks in the kitchens and our bartenders came down with the flu and our replacement came late and…" He babbled on, afraid of upsetting more customers. His relief came when the older man offered him a warm smile, with a reassuring hand wave.

"It's alright, we really don't mind the wait. But, are we cleared to order?"

"Yes, yes of course." He pulled from his pocket a thick piece of paper, the same as the menus the group held at the table. Taking from his other pocket, he pulled out a small chunk of black coal. The boy looked at the people expectantly, waiting for them to reveal their wants. The one with blonde hair, who addressed him earlier, turned to look at the fuming man with brown hair. Watching as he flipped his long braid over his shoulder, he snatched the menu from the young woman's hand and began scanning it lazily.

"I'll I have the beef special with a side of soup, potatoes, green beans and MANNERS." It was clear whom the last part was addressed to, from the way he leaned over and practically yelled in her ear. Yet even as the irritated tone startled a few people surrounding them, the young woman calmly brought her glass up to her lips and sipped slowly on the water. Hotaru sighed, knowing that her sister was never going change. It seemed that no matter where they went together, her quiet, cautious, icy attitude seemed to strike down any chance she ever had at making friends. There were times when she wondered how her sister became so close with the few people she hung around already. It was a sad quality that her older guardian possessed, one that she was trying hard to break her away from.

"Make that two specials." Quatre breathed out annoyed. Things were never going to change with his friend. They weren't the closest partners, but more times then often, they ended up traveling together. It was always Duo's bright, friendly nature that always played as a double-edged sword. Most people took nicely to his smiles and jokes, while others never hesitated to spit out their distaste for the sunny mood. What made the situation bad was, his comrade couldn't let well alone. There had to be a follow up remark, a full description of what the person was acting like and his stubborn attitude never helped the situation none.

"We'll have the…fried noodles and fish." The youngest of the group spoke for both her and her sister. Her voice had seemed colder then usual and her eyes held a lingering sadness that was visual to everyone who looked. Her napkin had become the most interesting thing at the table the minute their waiter went away.

* * *

Once again the tale was left to suffer in the uncomfortable silence that festered around the oddly grouped people. Quatre looked on as Duo did tiny things to annoy the already upset female next to him. He would stuff bread in his mouth and try to whistle, sending crumbs flying about. Or he would tap on his glass with his spoon, pushing the cup closer to the girl's so he could tap on hers as well. As calm as she stood, only Hotaru knew the damage the young man was causing. It wouldn't be long before her sister snapped and sent him flying around the restaurant, in search of something to quench his burning body. She looked on helplessly with sad eyes, counting down the attack with every one of her sister's twitches. Three…two…one… 

"Stop!" Hotaru called out. Her sister's eyes snapped up to meet hers, glare darker then she had ever seen it. But much to her relief, Rei's amethyst eyes soften dramatically. They sat staring at each other, neither willing to give up to the other. One held confidence and strength, while the other held determination and fear. Hotaru slowly lowered her gaze so that she was staring at her lap, her hands fidgeting restlessly on them. Her mind screamed at her for daring to attempt such a feat. Trying to intimidate someone much older then she was a fool thing to do, but trying to intimidate someone who didn't fit the heartfelt mold of a human was a tragically hopeless action. If not for the crowd that surrounded the restaurant, she would have fled the dark, watchful eye of her sister. But now she had to sit at the table where everything was worse.

The silence that settled around everyone was everything but peaceful. The emotions that radiated off both females were too much for Quatre to handle. All complete opposites, yet all came together in a way where they needed each other to be. Rei's anger towards the young girl in front of her was mild, but only seemed to be brought on from Hotaru's disheartenment. The younger sibling's jealously appeared to grow from her sister's fearlessness. And both their pains derived from each other's pain. Gaining these kind of results from other people was not odd, but to know that the feeling exist solely because of the emotions of the other was a rare case.

And Quatre wasn't the only one feeling it. Duo became the quietest person at the table, seated straight and still. His eyes wandered back and forth between Rei and Hotaru, wondering just where the younger girl's explosion came from. Quite sure now was not the time to say the wrong thing, he opted to keep his mouth closed and do nothing to stimulate the group.

Rei on the other hand, knew just why her sister yelled at her, and wasn't at all pleased. They were a close pair in deed, but feelings of ill will did harbored themselves in both parties. She knew it was her sister's 'goal' to see her happy, to see that she was satisfied with life. But she also knew that her sister was anything but happy and knew nothing of teaching another of an emotion she was yet to truly discover. In order to keep herself happy, she was required to follow what was in her heart and mind, and stabbing the young man next to her was part of that set. One thing that angered Rei was her sister's naivete. Her belief that people showed their true colors on first meet was something unbelievable. But then again, she was her sister after all and she didn't want her to be upset.

But before Rei could get a chance to apologize to Hotaru, their waiter came to the table and served them their food. The cheery boy's mood quickly dropped for the worst when he entered the vicinity. Anyone who looked could see it. He quickly dropped the food off randomly and ran off, more hurriedly then he had been all day. Quatre noted that with much embarrassment, as everyone scrambled to get their correct plate.

* * *

"Hey, are you gonna fi—" 

"Take it." Rei cut him off, already knowing where he was going. The plate that sat in front of her was almost empty, expect a small piece of fish and seasoned noodles. She watched with fascinated eyes as the young man she was going to strangle earlier, inhaled what was leftover from her meal. A tiny smile crept upon her lips as the blonde sitting next to her, snorted in frustration. It was safe to assume that traveling with the newly acquainted Duo wasn't such an easy task. Hotaru gladly noticed the minute change of facial expression, as she no longer feared for either men safety.

"So, where are you guys going now?"

"That really isn't any of your business." Rei shot at the girl, her parental instinct forcing it way out. If not for the knowing smile that found it's way on Hotaru face, Quatre was sure another confrontation was going to ensue. But much to his surprised, she whispered a sorry and began picking softly at flowers that stood as a centerpiece.

"It's ok. We're heading North, gotta go get my weapon fixed. What about you?"

"Ummmm…I'm going with Rei." The said person looked up at Duo and weighed her options. She could walk away from the conversation, which would knowingly push her withdrawn sister farther away from her. Or she could simply answer the question presented and leave it at that, which would ultimately leave them in the know of her next plans. No matter what she chose, it would have a negative outcome. Taking a deep breath, Rei looked over to her sister to she her staring back with hopeful eyes. And with an almost defeated sigh, she turned back to Duo with a softened disposition.

"We're heading North as well, I need to pick up some things in the next town."

"Yea, whatever you say." Rei narrowed her eyes at the young man who was obviously trying to set the record of annoying her. "If you ask me, I think you're just trying to spend as much time as you possible can with me. So you only said that you're going North because you want us to say that you can tag along with me and Q. That little mean girl thing was just a ploy to get me to notice you, when in reality, you dig me."

"Try not to kill him." Quatre said while getting up and walking over to the bar, pouch in hand, ready to pay the waiter. Duo looked on confused at his words. Hotaru grinned slyly at Quatre's response. While Rei took it as permission to cause bodily harm to the cocky bastard that temporarily plagued her existence.

By the time Quatre arrived back at the table, his comrade was practically sitting on Hotaru, glaring icicles at her sister. The silver fork was clenched tightly in Rei's hand with a smug look playing naturally on her features. From the way Duo held his arm and the shocked words that were leaving the other patrons mouths, it was fair to conclude that Rei stab him.

A.N.: Yes, I'm alive and need I say, doing well for myself. So...what do ya think? Good? Bad? Tell me.


	2. Rei against the World

**Disclaimer:**** Not sure if I have to write a disclaimer on ever chapter, but this is the last time. We all know I don't own Sailor Moon or Gundam Wing so there's no point in writing it all the time, I'm not trying to take credit for characters I didn't create…just the plot. **

**Sooo…It's been months since I last update, but I've been more then content just reading and review other people work. I was cleaning out my computer and found chapter. There's like so much work that I had started and finished, but forgot about it. So here you go, chapter 2. **

**Chapter Two:**** Rei Against the World. **

"How in the hell did you end up with these blockheads?" Rei mumbled to no one specifically, though she was voicing her opinion with her sister clearly in mind. The young one was walking closely by Duo, her eyes staring up at him instead of the path ahead. The older man was speaking to her, words she couldn't hear above the loud clamor of the bustling streets, though she was sure they weren't anything she wanted her sister to hear. But alas, there was nothing she could do. As much as she wanted to protect her sister from all the dangers and impurities the world contained, there was no way in hell it would be possible. It was all part of growing up and it seemed she was growing up fast. As if sensing the sort of revelation, Qature slowed down his pace to walk side by side with the solitary figure.

After years of dealing with different types of people, he thought he knew exactly how to approach this one. Like he expected, she did nothing to indicate that she acknowledged him being next to her. With her head held high and her eyes staring straight ahead, she walked at the same pace, never faltering, even as he cleared his throat to get her attention.

"You're sister is really nice." Yet there was still no response. Rei continued to walk, minding not what the young man was saying. "She's quite intelligent." This time, he had caught her attention. Not because of the comment, but the tone in which he spoke. He sounded in disbelief, as if it were impossible for her little sister to have a fully functioning brain.

"Sorry to disappoint." She said dryly, raising that sleek dark brow in the process.

"No I didn't mean it like that. What I meant was…"

"Hey Rei, come here and hurry." Qature was cut off by Hotaru soft voice. Without looking back at the blonde, Rei rushed forward and ran to where her sister was calling. She had no intentions of listening to him make excuses.

"What is it Hotaru?"

"Look…doesn't that look like the one Makoto used to carry around?" Rei leaned forward to examine the piece that had captured her sister attention. It was a beautiful choker, a circular pendant hanging from a silk cloth. Squinting, Rei leaned even closer to examine the fine detail that resembles her friend's necklace so much. It was a huge diamond on a small gold plate. The gold plate was old and discolored, but the intricate design of loops and swirls that circled the diamond was clearly visible. Her pale hand reached for the jewelry, but was quickly swatted away before she could make contact. Rei eyes shot up to meet the dark brown eyes of her attacker. He was going gray, although thick locks of black hair still remained. His face was thin and his well-rounded nose was stuck up in the air as he looked down at her. Being particularly taller then she, he thought he held the upper hand as he tried his luck at intimidation. With his arms folded across his green silk covered chest, he wasted no time in shooting her down with his superiority.

"You don't have enough." The person glared at the group for a second before lifting his hands and waving the off. "Away with you…and take your hooligan friends as well." Much to the Duo and Qature's surprise, both Rei and Hotaru shared a knowing glance between each other. With her lips twisted in a grin, Rei removed her purse from her belt and began looking through it.

"Tell me something kind sir." He raised a questioning brow at the calm tone of her voice. "Just how much is that lovely piece?"

"No mind to you. Get lost." He was clearly losing patience with her, watching Rei and the group with a disgusted eye. Duo took a step back, afraid of his own reaction if the man continued to look at him that way, while Qature frowned at the accusation of their lack of money, unknowingly cupping his own purse. Hotaru stood by her sister's side, watching as she still dug in her purse, all the while keeping that smug but submissive look upon her face.

"Please…I know it's impossible for me to obtain such status as yourself. In the very least, I have a similar making and…." He cut her off with a harsh sounding grunt. The look in his eyes was murder as he stared incredulously at her. Not once did she take her hand out of her purse, the sounds of coins clanking together filling the small area.

"Don't you dare compare your horrid knock off with something of such high standards. Two pounds of gold I paid for it, way more then what you could ever hope to dream of."

"Here's three pounds." Rei finally took her eyes off her purse and her hand out as well, though in her possession was a fist full of coins. Throwing the brown bag across the stand, she watched as the man caught it in midair. Hotaru smiled at the change in the man's expression. He went from a cocky smirk to an astonished fool with his mouth agape. "Just give me the damn thing so my hooligan friends and I can leave."

"Remove yourself from my sight." He said arrogantly as he handed Rei the necklace.

"With pleasure." Clutching her purchase in her hand, she smiled down at her sister before nodding slightly to the 'kind sir'. Taking cue, Hotaru bowed low at the waist and with such innocent eyes looked up at the man.

"Thank you for your time, hope to buy from you again." He glared at the child before lifting his head even higher and turning it to the side. The man was not taking well to the mocking sisters and they seen it as he grounded his teeth together in a constricted rage. With that Rei placed her hand on her sister's shoulder and quietly led her away from the stand, listening as Duo's loud laughter followed them closely.

Qature kept silent as he followed Rei. Although he found the little exchange between herself and the store clerk to be quite amusing, he had to admit that there was something about her that just made being amongst her presence to be difficult. From the way she kept her cool when she was wrongful labeled with just one look, he could tell that she had had some experience in this area of shop. No doubting the fact that Hotaru was just as skilled in the art of baiting as her sister, but she wasn't the one making his stomach churn. Her sister was. She was the female who had shaken his companion up in just seconds after meeting him. She was the one who supposedly won over the right to the title of Champ, beating the carrier who held it for several years. She was the one who had a strength-challenged-child running selflessly through a forest searching for her. There was just something about Rei that made him feel uneasy, something about those cold, blank eyes that would move over you and make you feel awkward. Or maybe it was the way she would raise her eyebrows and convey a load of emotion with such simple and subtle movements. What ever it was, he knew that dropping his guard around her for one second could lead to something fatal, although the young blonde knew that paranoia was more to blame for his over active mind then Rei's cold persona.

"If paying attention is to hard for you, I think one of us could hold your hand." Qature was shaken out of his thoughts by the voice of the topic of his mental discussion. Stopping in his tracks, he found himself to be not behind the group but ahead of everyone. With lightly stained cheeks, he turned to Rei, trying his best to conceal his embarrassment of not paying attention. Way to lost in thought, he had not realized that his travel companions had went into a small building, with the exception of Rei who was standing outside. But that only meant that Duo was inside with Hotaru…when had she become so trust worthy of the young man. And when had she decided that she took that much of a liking to him that she would leave her sister alone in the care of a 'stranger' and wait for him and his lack of attention. Yes. Rei was a mystery to him. She was nothing like the cold friends he had at home, though she was nothing like the happy, cheerful friends that he surrounded himself around. Perhaps the answer would come out in due time, even though their time together would end no sooner then when they reached the next town. Maybe he could try to figure her out…it was something to keep him from going insane. It seemed that his travels had come with the same outcome and same events, nothing new to report. Now that he had two new people to travel with, maybe things would be different, maybe he would….

"Ummm mister…your girlfriend left you. She wasn't to happy looking either." This time it was a young boy, no older then eight, that broke him out of his train of thought. He was looking at Qature weirdly, probably wondering why he was just standing there. The boy lifted his hands and ran it through is light blue hair, he kept his matching eyes on Qature as realization struck his features. "Did you and your girlfriend get into a fight? My dad usually buys my mom a present when they get into a fight. Here! You could have this…Grandma said I had to get rid of it before mom comes home anyways." Still a little shocked, Qature reached down and took the red stone from the kid.

"Thanks." He mumbled not sure what to make of the situation.

"Don't mention it mister, but you better go to your girlfriend before she gets any more angry. I remember one day, my dad had to sleep in my room when he got into a fight with my mom and didn't bring her a present. You don't want to get into to trouble like that with your girlfriend." There he went again, going off about a girlfriend. What the hell was he talking about anyway? Qature peered down into the freckled face of the kid and nodded his head. A proud smile crossed his features as he successfully helped the older man out, even if he did it by airing his dirty laundry. Not wanting to leave him with nothing after all his 'help', Qature pocketed the red stone. He stuck out his hand towards the boy and held it there as the kid examined the shiny gold piece resting on his palm.

"Go ahead, take it." The boy quickly snatched the coin from his hand.

"Wow! Is it real?" Qature nodded his head, the smile never leaving his lips or his eyes. "Gee, thanks mister. No one's ever given me a real gold coin before. Wait 'til my friends here about this. I'm gonna go tell them right now." With that, the boy began to run off, but stopped suddenly after a few feet. "Hey mister…thanks and don't forget to give your girlfriend the present so she don't be mad at'cha."

"My girlfriend…" Sighing into the warm air, Qature turned on his heels and looked at the building. "He must be talking about Rei." Smirking to himself at the inconceivableness of him and Rei actually being a couple, the young blonde finally made his way into the building in which his 'girlfriend' went into.

"It's about time…hurry up so we can order some drinks." Duo yelled when he saw the familiar face of Qature. The blonde haired young man smiled sheepishly at the toothy grin that he was being given, his loud companion wasted no time in calling him out. Without having time to settled down and get comfortable, Qature quickly made his way to the bar, lifting his hand to call forth the bartender.

* * *

Hotaru sipped slowly on the drink in front of her, the sweet liquid dancing around her tongue in the most pleasant of ways. The sugary treat was swirling around in a glass cup, much like the one her sister was drinking from, but this was nothing like her sister's drink. The fruity flavors blended well together with the small chucks of fruits adding more to the already tasty concoction. Hotaru placed the cup down on the table, watching as some of the red liquid splashed out of the cup by her force. It fell on her pale hand and settled like drops of blood. Tilting her head to the side, she examined the spill, wondering if her real blood would ever pour from her body. Many times she watched Rei bleed. Sometimes it was because she accidentally cut herself while going on through some domestic task or another. But most of the time, it was a result of a battle that she endured…wounds of a warrior. She wanted to be like her, be just like her sister. But she knew that that would never happen.

Lifting her head, she set her indigo eyes on the focus of her thoughts. The older woman was sipping on her drink, ignoring the drunken man next to her speaking whatever in her ear. She sat still, with perfect posture, her back straight and her held high. Not to mention that her sister was beautiful and strong enough to take down anyone she went up against. Elegant, graceful, intelligent, spiritually unwavering, brave, she was everything anyone would want.

One time, she had even went so far as to tell Rei that she wanted to be like her, but her sister simply shook her head and walked away. The last words she ever spoke on that matter still lingered in her head.

"Rei." She said quietly as she stared at the back of her older sister. The young woman was spreading crumbs around on the ground for the wildlife to come and consume. Hotaru stared wonderingly at a squirrel, watching as it timidly skipped his way up to the feeding hand and nibble gently from it's palm. Nature was a beautiful thing filled with surprises around every corner. But nature didn't always agree with humans, yet Rei attracted every creature that shied away from the two-legged race. It was truly amazing.

"_Is something wrong Firefly? You've been standing there for the last couple of minutes in silence." Her sweet voice filled the air causing the squirrel to pause for just a minute before going back to its meal. Crows and other birds began to join the feasting rodent, paying no mind to each other and taking in as much as they wanted. It was truly a breath taking sight. Hotaru stepped back a little, a blush taking over the round of her cheeks. She glanced up a Rei as she stepped towards her, her light pink dress billowing as she moved. The soft color looked nice on her, but it did little to define her personality. Dark hair stood out against the light color, the long silky strands twisted and tied, hanging over her shoulder. Hotaru slowly dragged her left hand through her own locks, wincing at how quickly her fingers ran through. Noticing the look on her sister's face, Rei smiled, bringing her own fingers to glide through the younger girl's soft mane. "You have such nice hair." Hotaru smiled at her sister compliment, happy to see the genuine sincerity gleaming in her eyes. _

"_Thanks…but I like your hair better." Her smile was gone and she stared sadly at the ground, her level of self-esteem clearly visible. _

"_Why? It's a pain to manage and always seems to get in the way of everything." Rei said in a matter-of-fact voice, her hands now resting on her hips. _

"_But everyone's always complimenting you on how nice and pretty your hair is and you said that you'd never cut it." _

"_I'm used to all the complication that my hair provide and far as compliments go…I never ask for them." The last part was said a little bit more harder then the beginning, causing the youngest of the pair to wince at the reprimanding tone. _

"_I know." Hotaru whispered. She began kicking the air around her foot like she always did when she was standing in front of Rei, nervous as can be. _

"_Be thankful you have hair this nice. People may not compliment it, but you know just as well as I do, that's it's lovely." _

"_But I want to be just like you Rei!" The older sister seemed stunned for a moment, but quickly recovered. She shook her head sadly, before brushing past Hotaru. _

"You shouldn't strive to be like someone else and if you insist upon that notion, please choose someone a lot better." The sad words reached her ears, but before she could respond, Rei had left the area, closing her self off with the gentle click of the door.

"You ok kid." Duo asked as he picked up Hotaru's cup. He brought it up to his nose and sniffed the liquid. Hotaru stared at him strangely, wondering what might posses him to do such a thing.

"There's no alcohol in the drink, now give it back." Rei glared at Duo, watching as he placed the cup back in front of Hotaru, sending her a suspicious glance before going back to his own drink. Shaking her head, Rei looked down at Hotaru, her expression softened with concerned filled eyes. "What's wrong?" she whispered.

"Nothing…I was just thinking…thoughts." A blush crept upon her cheeks, staining the pale flesh a pinkish hue. Hotaru wanted so badly to run from her sister's penetrating gaze. Biting her lip was all she could do to keep from making a beeline for the door. Her indigo eyes trailed over to her cup, finding that a lot more comfortable to stare at then Rei. But even as she stared at the chunks of pineapple colliding with the cherries, she couldn't help but wiggle in her seat, knowing that her sister still had her eyes set on her small form.

"Are you tired?"

"No, I was just thinking."

"Really." Rei watched as Hotaru stiffly nodded her head. Placing her drink on the counter, she leaned forward so her face was inches away from her baby sister. With her chin resting in her hand, Rei smiled gently, disarming Hotaru of any worries. "I was doing some thinking of my own."

"Yeah?" Hotaru perked up greatly at the confession. The relationship that she and Rei shared wouldn't exactly be considered healthy. Rei kept to herself and Hotaru, without knowing, laid herself bare in front of her sister each time they spoke. The silence that the older female kept was almost sacred and it was very rare that she broke it to speak what was on her mind in a more personal sense. Even she, her very own sister, was always in the dark when it came to her sister feelings and thoughts. But, it was what some people called a lack of trust that kept the two together. Rei was a troubled soul, that was something even the eight-year-old could see. But it was the ignorance of her sister's past and thoughts that led her to enjoy the cynical female company and words. Leaning forward, Hotaru placed herself closer to her sister, urging her to speak on the matter some more. She was more then happy when her silent request was reward with a smile.

"Well…the next town is famous for their fighters, so I'm pretty sure that the weapons they have there are clearly worth the buy."

"I'm not to sure what you mean." Hotaru whispered, embarrassed for having to admit that to Rei. But once again, it was her older sister's rare smile that made all her worries disappear and she couldn't help but produce a tiny smile of her own. Plucking her sister against the forehead, Rei tilted her head to the side in a child like manner.

"I think its high time you've learned to stop depending on me to fight your battles. Of course I'm always going to be here for you when you need anything, but I was taking down dragons when I was your age."

"YEAH RIGHT!" Rei clenched her fist at her side; her amethyst eyes searching for some kind of anchor in those of indigo pools of her sister. If not for how fast her eyes pleaded for her not to take action on the intruding brunette, Rei was sure that brute force was about to be displayed.

"Duo leave them alone, let them be in peace." Qature spoke up from over his drink, his own ears having had picked up on the whole conversation. But the only difference between him and his comrade was he knew that the words from the beauty's lips were only in jest as she tried to boost the confidence of her sister.

"Some people just aren't trainable, either that or a parent or two failed to do their duty." With that said, she linked her hand with Hotaru and began the walk towards the door. But it seemed that last comment wasn't sitting to well with the fuming Duo and he quickly jumped from his seat and forced Rei to face him. The curious eyes of the bar's patrons fell upon the two, smirks and knowing glances forming on their faces. 'Another lover's spat' they heard one say, 'Boy is she gonna get it' left the mouth of a drunk man, each word slurred to the fullest. The two young adults stood facing each other, Duo squeezing onto her slender arm and Rei staring calmly at the visibly angry male. It hadn't even been more then three hours and the two were ready to kill each other. Qature looked back and forth between Rei and Duo, his mind rushing through many thoughts at once. He could step in and prevent a fight from ensuing, or he could let the two be and allow them to learn their lesson the hard way.

If not for the knowledge of his friend's fighting skill, he would have left it that, for it appeared that Rei was more then capable of taking care of herself. But, Duo was a different kind of fighter. The young man lived for battles and never hesitated when placing himself in one. He even went so far as to refer to himself as the God death, proving just how much he enjoyed the thrill of defeating his opponent and surviving a possible end. Even though he was so young, he was very skilled with his weapon of choice and, despite his laid back attitude; his determination to conquer everything he went up against made him a force to be reckoned with.

Qature took a step forward and placed his hand on his friend's tight gripping fist. Just feeling his muscles clenching and unclenching on Rei's arm sent shivers up his spin. The grip he had on her was strong and he knew that a bruise was sure to linger, but she stayed calm in the face of danger. It was almost surprising how little of a struggle she put forward. Sure, she beat the oversized Helm, but Duo was on a whole new level. Slowly, cobalt blue eyes turned on his sapphires. It was like he was daring him to make a move, daring him to say something, anything. A frightening sight he created. But, in the midst of all this, they all failed to neglect a very important character in the bar. The eight year old child, who looked like she didn't know what to feel right now.

Although she looked as confused as ever, her actions were purposeful and wasted no time in putting them forward. Pulling her foot back, she took in a deep breath and let it fly forward, making it crash forcefully into Duo's leg. Yelping in pain, he let go of Rei's arm to hold on to the sore spot. Before he could open his mouth to yell at the child, the tiny opponent was dragging her sister out the bar at high speed. A look of confusion crossed his face and he felt the warm hand of Qature land on his shoulder.

"What just happened?"

* * *

"Hotaru stop running, I'm pretty sure you lost them." The two had been running for a while now. Hotaru held onto her sister's arm and pulled her along with all her might, ignoring the yells of bystanders. But after hearing her sister's voice over the roar of the crowd, she came to a complete stop, happy for the chance to rest. Her small body slid to a halt, letting go of Rei's arm to hold onto her beating chest. They had came to a small clearing, a large place that separated the residential area from the bustling streets of the market. The two had stopped in front of a large, cemented circle that held in place a beautiful garden of pink and white tulips. On one side was the ending of stores, while on the other side was the beginning of house, leaving them with a fair amount of space to rest there tired bodies. People passed by them by, paying no mind to the two girls. Leaning forward, Hotaru began coughing, finding that catching her breath was a lot harder then she had anticipated. Normally when she had to run for her dear life, she would drop what ever she was carrying and take off. But then again, Rei would always be there to take down whatever it was that was making her run. The young girl dropped to her knees, her coughing harsher and her breaths harder to catch. Her physical fitness was nothing to brag about. But with some concentration and a relaxing mantra playing in her head, the burning sensation in her chest began to let up a little, as well as the uncomfortable constriction. She then found it a lot easier to open her eyes to stare up at her sister.

"Wha?!" Hotaru breathed out astonished. The beauty before her stood up straight, her head cocked to the side, staring blankly at the struggling child. No sweat or any sign of discomfort shone upon her face and her chest remained at a steady motion, signaling that she had taken much better to running then the smaller of the blood.

"You'll find it's a lot easier to act when you're not putting so much stress on yourself."

"He was going hurt you!" Quickly, the young child tried to justify her actions, taking her sister's words as chiding. With a sigh, Rei shock her head, lifting her hand to run through her hair.

"…he had to much to drink, he wasn't thinking straight and I'm pretty sure I could take him."

"Sounds like you being arrogant." Hotaru mumbled under her breath, her eyes downcast to the ground. She would never speak those words out loud. There was more fear of losing favor in her older sibling's eyes then there was a physical response. But, unfortunately for her, Rei heard what she said. The older girl placed a pale hand on her sister's shoulder, smiling gently for a change.

"Arrogance is when you only see the strength in yourself and the weakness of those around you. Though I don't particularly like Duo, I know that he has some good in his heart and I sense a great warrior in him. I'd be a fool to ignore that …but then again, even if I didn't know all that, you can't keep running from everything." It was always a constant struggle between the two. Hotaru spent a lot of her days trying to push Rei into the world of peace and nonviolence. While Rei on the other hand, tried to bring her sister into the world she had made her own. Countless times she had urged the smaller version of herself to begin to learn the art of weaponry. Each time her younger sibling would refuse and crawl back into the shell that even she couldn't break. Rei had put so much time and energy into trying to help the girl see the world for the battleground it was, but it seemed the two sisters was too far apart from each other. Hotaru further proved that as she picked up her sister hand with both her own and pushed it away from her. With her head still to the ground, she shook it forcefully, not knowing if she wanted to cry or take the nearest rock to her sister's head.

"Why do you always have to fight? Why can't we just go home and continue working at the Temple? Grandpa teaches about keeping peace and avoiding conflict at all times, but you go and look for it. You never back down and somehow you end up making every one mad…" She paused, looking up to see if her sister was paying attention, but the cool expression on the older one's face turned that pain into anger. Hotaru stomped her feet in the ground and balled her hands into fist. "You're mean and scary and you don't care about me and Grandpa. Because if you did, then you wouldn't make us worry so much when you fight."

"Are you done yet?" Short black hair swayed in the wind as she stared up at her sister. Rei stood just inches in front of Hotaru, her head bent down to look into the face of the shorter individual. Neither anger nor pain registered in Rei's eyes…just a blank look…a cool expression, one she was dutifully known for. That meant that she heard Hotaru loud and clear. That meant that she understood everything Hotaru was saying. One thing it didn't mean was, she was going to allow anything that was said to effect her way of thinking. With that knowledge in mind, Hotaru gave up and nodded her head. No matter how stubborn she tried to be, Rei was ten times as worse.

"What do we do now?" She sighed, changing the subject and marking down one more defeat in her book.

"Normally I'd suggest we walk around and look at the different shops, but I'd be much more comfortable trusting my money with the businesses up North."

"Why, what's wrong with these over here?" Hotaru asked as she eyed the different stores that lined her view, the tone of both their voices was as normal as could be, as if they had never been arguing before. Rei sighed, flipping her long black hair over her shoulder.

"Nothing, I guess…but I don't want to risk buying the wrong things. At least, up North, I know I can trust the shops." Hotaru couldn't help but grin at the older woman that she had loved so much and idolized. As much grief as this one had caused her, she wouldn't dare trade for another.

"Look whose putting stress on themselves." She said happily, wrapping her thin fingers around her sister's. One thing she was sure of, when she smiled, Rei smiled and there was nothing else in the world that could make her happier.

"Let's go secure us a room at a inn, or else we'll have to put you on some crutches and have you fake a terrible, terrible illness."

"Mrs. Sawnson said you were never that good of a influence." Rei beamed at those words, a genuine smile brightening up her normally dark face. Even though people liked her and sang praise for many of the things she did, they never wasted a second of breath to tell how much they disapproved of her raising a child. No one believed she was a suitable candidate for taking care of anyone. At first, even Hotaru herself had protested, but later on came around, defending her sister thoroughly, but quietly.

"I don't know, maybe she's right." Hotaru shook her head, before tightening the grip she had on her sister's hand. The small child once again led the duo, dragging her towards the residential area where they were sure to find rest.

* * *

Running his hands though his hair, Qature let out a frustrated sigh as he watched the young man in front of him stumble into yet another bystander. It was the middle of the afternoon and his friend had managed to consume more alcohol then what he could handle and now had to deal with the effects of intoxication. It was so unlike him to drink so heavily, but then again, the last two days weren't like any other. His friend was obviously handling the stress a lot different then what he had expected. Qature placed a firm hand on Duo's back, hoping that the stumbling man would accept the help offered, but once again, he refused.

"Back off, ok." The brunette slurred out in an angry tone, but his face soon gave way and he was reduced to laughing loudly. People walked past, taking notice of Qature and the problem on his hand. They offered a few choice words for the pair, shaking their heads and quickly going by to avoid contact with the laughing man.

"I said we should have left when the girl's did, but did we? No. We stayed so you could have a few more." Qature mumbled as he lifted his friend's arm around his shoulder and tired to steady himself. Duo protested for a while, struggling to free himself from the shorter man's grasp, but Qature held on, never allowing him to slip away. Finally Duo gave up, accepting everything for what it was.

Duo was far from okay. The young man had taken pretty badly to the two sisters, liking one and hating the other. Qature couldn't help but feel for his comrade, his understanding of the situation clear and accurate. Ever since yesterday morning, he could feel the restraints on Duo tearing, but today showed just how much his friend was losing it. The young blonde sighed as he forced his way through the crowded street, now carrying the travel bag that once occupied Duo's back. Though Duo held tightly onto the long wooden pole in his hand, there was a weight on his back that Qature just couldn't place, nor did he want to take the time to. He had managed to calm his friend down, the last thing he wanted to do was cause a big fuss over something that was probably nothing. The only thing he wanted to do was get his friend to a warm bed and allow him a chance to relax away his troubles.

It all began when Duo was introduced to failure on a level he had not seen before. They had been walking through the woods, on their way to the very town they stood, when they were attacked by a group of bandits. Like any other rogue, they demanded that the pair hand over all their weapons and valuables. A skinny young man did all the talking while two shady looking characters stood three or four feet behind him. They nodded and smirked with each word the leader said, only interrupting to throw insults at their victims. Not one to sit down and take things like this so lightly, Duo stepped up and challenged the bandits, clearly intent on protecting what was his. The group wasted no time in charging for each other, both fighting with all their strength. But, both Qature and Duo proved that the bandits just couldn't stand up to them. As they watched the three flee, the blonde one suddenly felt something coming right towards them. With a quick warning, he barely had time to move both Duo and himself out of harm's way.

Once they were back on their feet, the pair was forced to face a shadowy figure, it's cloak covering all. Like they were taught, they first tried to use words to diffuse the tension, but when that failed, they had no choice but to attack. Qature was the first to fall, his body was thrown across the dirt road, leaving him lying painfully on his stomach. He watched as Duo went in for an attack, only to have the very scythe that he called his pride and joy, broken in two. The steel piece that brought to death many enemies shattered into tiny pieces, leaving the brunette with a wooden pole to defend himself with. The mysterious figure charged for Duo, sending the young man straight into a tree. He passed out shortly after and Qature was left to watch the figure walk away into the shadow, satisfied with his results. He blacked out a few seconds later, only to be woken up by Duo with a painful headache. Even though nothing had been stolen during their forced nap, Duo had spent the rest of the day in a real big funk. The ever optimistic blonde tried his best to bring his normally bubbly comrade back, but it seemed that losing to that figure had did more then angered the young man.

After that, it seemed that things could only have gotten better, but both were completely wrong. A harsh burning and itchy rash had found it's way on Duo's arm, one that his healer comrade couldn't get rid of. With each try, Qature had only manage to worsen thing, causing Duo to become more and more frustrated. Though his friend wasn't the cause of his distress, Duo had taken it all out on Qature, yelling and mumble rude words under his breath. But, like any good friend, he understood where the anger was coming from and took no offense to words.

But things didn't get better from there. All the food they had packed had dwindled down by the time evening arrived and they were forced to trek through the river in search of fish to feed their rumbling bellies. That in it's self was a tedious and even frustrating act, but they managed. As dinner was cooked and they settled down to eat, their quiet, relaxing meal was interrupted by what they thought to be a robber or wild animal. They prepared themselves for the worst, only to find that a child wandered into the forest and need nourishment and a warm place to sleep until the next day. Duo brightened up considerably, but the morning did nothing but irritate Qature, leaving the two young men to switch roles. Duo was now left to cheer up his comrade, while trying to find some kind of common ground with the cautious kid they had decided to let travel with them.

As the new day progressed, they had allowed the girl to slip through their fingers. They went to go look for her, but then decided that they had much more important things to handle. Guilt lingered on both their consciences, until they wandered innocently into a restaurant. There they meet up with the child, only to find that she was with someone. That someone turned out to be her older sister, one that Duo quickly insulted. The beautiful young lady's coldness and sharp tongue rubbed Duo in all the wrong places, leaving him with a genuine distaste for the female. To make matters worst, she had shone no signs of caring, further angering the brunette even more.

They all decided to go get a drink afterwards, hopefully calming the nerves of the two feuding souls and giving strength to the two peace keepers. But it seemed that that planned failed and somehow Rei had unknowingly came close to losing her life by enraging a darkened warrior who had alcohol floating in his blood. If not for the quick thinking of the youngest of the dark haired sisters, a physical fight was sure to have occurred. That, Qature was more then happy for, knowing that once Duo came to his senses, he would be really upset to find that he had lost control so easily. Even though his longhaired friend was loud and spoke his mind freely, he had a lot more self-control then what people thought.

"Don't look so down man." Duo whispered to Qature. The blonde couldn't help but smile at the half-asleep teen. For Duo, it was always pleasure before business…no wonder they ended each journey without bringing intentional harm upon each other.

* * *

Rei watched with a patient eye as the old woman in front of her counted out the money, each coin at a time. Her old wrinkled hand slowly picked up the mixed pieces and set them carefully to the side, her thin pink lips mumbled numbers as she went. The pile that she had yet to count was still bigger then the one that she did mark off, but Rei didn't dare interrupt the senior at work. She knew from heated confrontations with her own Grandfather, that downgrading an older person's ability to do anything made them feel worthless and pissed them off to no extreme. Instead Rei smiled at the woman, leaned back on her heels and waited. The task would indeed take a lot longer then if a younger person would have done it, but the pair was in no rush. Slowly she turned her head to see what her sister was doing, but she found that the young child had taken great interest in a young man playing with a small knife.

He sat on a couch, one leg crossed over the other. His demeanor was so nonchalant, giving off the impression that he cared nothing for his surroundings. Though he seemed quiet and harmless, Rei couldn't help but note the danger in everyone and moved to stand next to her sister. She placed a firm hand on the child shoulders, but kept her eyes on the young man. There was something about him that screamed of a lost soul waiting to be found, but then again, it was that same aura that was telling her to keep away.

For a second, Hotaru watched her sister, wondering if she was going to say something mean about the man. No words came. Instead, it looked as if she was backing down. Was Rei scared?

"She can stay, I won't harm her." Hotaru lifted her Indigo eyes up to see herself staring into a pair of emerald ones. His expression was blank, though his voice was warm and inviting. The young man wanted company.

"Can I?" Rei seemed appalled by her sister's eagerness to hang with complete strangers. The raven-haired teen shook her head slowly, sending Hotaru a look that showed that her resolve would not be swayed, no matter what.

"Why not?" And she thought Duo was annoying. Rei glared at the young man for even questioning her decision, her hand dropping down her sister's arm to gain a good grip. Without any more words being exchanged, she pulled Hotaru forward and over to the desk, away from cold eyes.

**::Sigh:: I had to go through some major rewriting to get this to where it is, so you have to give me a break cuz I haven't wrote anything in a long time and my editing skills suck, so I'm sure there's a few mistakes in there. But I tried and I'm working real hard on it so Please review and tell me what you think.**


End file.
